CBS Sports Ranks 1-351

[gwhuskyfan]

UConn 39.

From Norlander >> I'm buying UConn stock. The Huskies were hexed last season, starting with some awful losses early and then compounded by injuries. Jalen Adams and Terry Larrier are both good enough to be First Team in the American. Kevin Ollie, this season sets up as a big one for you. Anything shy of the Big Dance will have UConn fans frequently discussing a coaching.

Ranking all 351 college basketball teams, from Duke to Alabama A&M

 

[auror]

Anything shy of the Big Dance will have UConn fans frequently discussing a coaching.

A COACHING WHAT??!?

 

[Stainmaster]

Anything shy of the Big Dance will have UConn fans frequently discussing a coaching.

Matt...you're late to the party, bro.

 

[Fishy]

A COACHING WHAT??!?

Discussions haven’t progressed that far.

 

[Jerry1714]

This putz clearly has not watched any Alabama A&M film, there is no way they are worse than 345th in the country.

 

[champs99and04]

39 is about where I'd have them, though I'll admit I'm not super well versed with the other teams. Could easily see them 30 spots higher or lower - there is more variance to account for with this team than there is with virtually any other team in the country. It really will be a fascinating season in that regard. As far as Ollie goes, I'm going to have to wait to see how things shake out. This isn't a year where we're giving him some ultimatum like NCAA tournament or else, but there has to at least be some righting of the wrongs that have plagued us in the recent past.

 

[Pgh2Storrs]

This seems like a pretty fair spot for us right now.

The best part of the rankings was Pitt at 153. Burn that program to the ground.

 

[CL82]

A COACHING WHAT??!?

It is like Apizza. I think it is a New Haven thing.

 

[Travelman6]

Fair enough. Still allows them to fly under the radar. How many American teams were ranked ahead of them?

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

I think Texas Tech could challenge for the B12 Title. May fall short but I expect them Top3 finish. This team is so under the radar and undervalued. End of the year KP better than many tourney teams. TT lost several close games last year. This team is definitely a S16 threat and an open bracket from causing some serious damage. Will start 5 seniors. Looking for the undervalued sleeper look no further barring injury especially to Evans. Bucknell is also to low. When brackets come out if Bucknell is looking across from you be scared. VERY scared. No petrified!

I have Texas A & M (look out when JJ Caldwell returns) as 1 of my Final4 teams.

 

[superjohn]

39 is about where I'd have them, though I'll admit I'm not super well versed with the other teams. Could easily see them 30 spots higher or lower - there is more variance to account for with this team than there is with virtually any other team in the country. It really will be a fascinating season in that regard. As far as Ollie goes, I'm going to have to wait to see how things shake out. This isn't a year where we're giving him some ultimatum like NCAA tournament or else, but there has to at least be some righting of the wrongs that have plagued us in the recent past.

You really could see them being the 9th best team in the country? What about this group makes you think that?

Not trying to be a jerk, just want to know what people are seeing that I'm not.

 

[Mr. French]

You really could see them being the 9th best team in the country? What about this group makes you think that?

Not trying to be a jerk, just want to know what people are seeing that I'm not.

An ideal scenario where we pull a '11 or '14 is my best guess.

I know it's far fetched but that's the top end of the spectrum.

I think his overall point was true too, college hoops has a lot of parity and quirkiness and unforeseen stuff.

Beyond the top few teams and even then they sometimes take weird turns.

Not that you're incorrect in questioning where the team will play well enough to dictate that discussion.

 

[husky429]

39 is about where I'd have them, though I'll admit I'm not super well versed with the other teams. Could easily see them 30 spots higher or lower - there is more variance to account for with this team than there is with virtually any other team in the country. It really will be a fascinating season in that regard. As far as Ollie goes, I'm going to have to wait to see how things shake out. This isn't a year where we're giving him some ultimatum like NCAA tournament or else, but there has to at least be some righting of the wrongs that have plagued us in the recent past.

I wouldn't be so sure it isn't an NCAA or bust ultimatum. Rumors have been floating, but theyre just rumors. Regardless, AD Dave is an SEC guy. It may not be an ultimatum but theres certainly a hot seat. He's got no Loyalty to former players. It's success or bust with AD Dave the way it should be.

We should all be rooting for ollie. Even if you don't like him, that means we have had a successful season for the players.

 

[MadDogRevival]

An ideal scenario where we pull a '11 or '14 is my best guess. I know it's far fetched but that's the top end of the spectrum.

Man, respectfully, there're gradations, among which are "unrealistic" and "unlikely" and "preposterous" and "delusional," and thinking that this rag-tag-fugitive-fleet can "pull" an 11 or 14 is not "far fetched," it's practically unimaginable.
But I guess that's why we're fanatics, so I'll hold your beer while you cheer yourself horse for this result.

 

[MadDogRevival]

We should all be rooting for ollie. Even if you don't like him, that means we have had a successful season for the players.

Yes and no. A year ago I would have heartily agreed. Now? I'd rather have a losing season and he gets canned than we win just enough to prolong this one more year, but not enough to show any maneuvers that appear to pull us out of the death spiral in which it has felt we have been.

 

[MadDogRevival]

Not trying to be a jerk, just want to know what people are seeing that I'm not.

Once again, I find myself agreeing with SJ. Sign of the times, I suppose.
If we break the top 10 this season I'll eat my head (hat tip to Dickens).

 

[AntG168]

Once again, I find myself agreeing with SJ. Sign of the times, I suppose.
If we break the top 10 this season I'll eat my head (hat tip to Dickens).

Honest question, not being sarcastic(I have to make that clear on the boneyard now a days).
What would you constitute a "successful" season this yr? 20 wins? Tourney? Tourney win?

 

[champs99and04]

You really could see them being the 9th best team in the country? What about this group makes you think that?

Not trying to be a jerk, just want to know what people are seeing that I'm not.

@Mr. French sums it up pretty well. There is a lot of variance in this sport - sometimes the red shirt freshman turns out to be an impact right away, sometimes not. Sometimes the junior point guard turns out to be an all-American, sometimes not. Sometimes guys come back better than before from ACL injuries and sometimes not. You get the point. If everything goes well, I could see a top ten finish. Obviously, I don't expect that to happen, especially given I posted it before Wednesday's drilling, but there are mid-majors who routinely play into the second weekend of the tournament and only a handful of teams - Arizona, Kentucky, Duke, Michigan State, maybe Texas/Kansas/UNC/Louisville - in a different tier from us talent wise. I'd say the same thing for a team like Rhode Island. They'll probably be around 40 with a margin for error of +/- 30.

 

[MadDogRevival]

What would you constitute a "successful" season this yr?

Qualitatively - program regains direction, no significant defections, players actually improve throughout the year, team cohesiveness develops, players play hard-nosed basketball 100% of the time, we come to play almost every night, we don't have any What the Heck losses, defense and rebounding are tenacious, Ollie is active.
Empirically - we finish top 3 American - 4th only if top 3 teams are top twenty teams - we finish in the top 30 nationally - we make the NCAA tourni and have at least one strong game, win or lose.

And pass the eye test. Stop trotting out garbage product.

 

[EBonz30]

An ideal scenario where we pull a '11 or '14 is my best guess.

I know it's far fetched but that's the top end of the spectrum.

I think his overall point was true too, college hoops has a lot of parity and quirkiness and unforeseen stuff.

Beyond the top few teams and even then they sometimes take weird turns.

Not that you're incorrect in questioning where the team will play well enough to dictate that discussion.

I am not sure if Husky fans really understand how rare and how much of an outlier the Kemba & Napier runs were. Now I feel like fans see a nice guard like Adams and see Gilbert comeback and thinks it’s possible again.

To be honest for the next 50 years to see this program win another title like that I will be floored.

I think we need to be realistic with our expectations.

I watch more college basketball than anyone I know, typically 12 games a night, I would predict this Uconn team at 18–13, 17-14, 19-12, somewhere around that.

If they make the tournament they definitely had a overachieving year, I figure 18-20 wins, 15 or lower below expectations.

 

[auror]

Honest question, not being sarcastic(I have to make that clear on the boneyard now a days).
What would you constitute a "successful" season this yr? 20 wins? Tourney? Tourney win?

I would consider an NCAA tournament win exceeding reasonable expectations and thus a success.
I would consider an NCAA tournament berth (including First Four) as meeting reasonable expectations and thus a pass.
I would consider missing the NCAA tournament not meeting reasonable expectations and thus a failure.

These all assume the roster is held in tact barring obvious departures in the off-season so as to build towards the future.

 

[Ewekon]

This seems like a pretty fair spot for us right now.

The best part of the rankings was Pitt at 153. Burn that program to the ground.

Not to mention syrexcuse at 87

 

[Travelman6]

To be honest, I think they should be in the mid 60s to low 70s but hoping they perform to that rank, at least.

That list makes no sense. Number 29 UCF is a 7 seed and Number 41 Bonaventure is an 8 seed? Wha.....?